Grading San Diego Chargers' Last 10 Drafts
The San Diego Chargers’ last 10 NFL drafts have brought in both impact Pro Bowlers, like Philip Rivers, and immediate busts, such as Larry English. This is obvious. But what about the players selected beyond the first round, the steals and the hidden gems? That is what these grades of the Chargers’ last 10 drafts are here to reveal.
Since San Diego’s 2014 draft class has yet to suit up for regular-season action, the grades will start at the 2004 draft and end at the 2013 draft.
The criteria for grading are as follows:
1. Impact starters are valued above all else, so a draft in which San Diego got one Pro Bowler will be graded better than a draft in which it snagged three depth players.
2. The players are graded based on what they did with the Chargers (the Michael Turner rule) or what they brought to the team via trade (the Eli Manning rule).
3. If the Chargers retained one of the players beyond his rookie contract, that is a huge plus.
4. Undrafted free agents are not factored into the equation. Sorry, Malcom Floyd.
With the rules now in place, let’s get started with the wild 2004 draft.
All stats are via Pro Football Reference unless otherwise noted.
2004: San Diego Builds Itself a Contender
1 of 10
Round 1, Pick 1: Eli Manning, QB*
Round 2, Pick 35: Igor Olshansky, DE
Round 3, Pick 65: Nate Kaeding, K
Round 3, Pick 66: Nick Hardwick, C
Round 4, Pick 98: Shaun Phillips, DE
Round 5, Pick 133: Dave Ball, DE
Round 5, Pick 154: Michael Turner, RB
Round 6, Pick 169: Ryan Krause, TE
Round 7, Pick 204: Ryon Bingham, DT
Round 7, Pick 209: Shane Olivea, OT
Round 7, Pick 254: Carlos Joseph, OT
*Traded for QB Philip Rivers, the 65th overall pick (Nate Kaeding, K) and the Giants’ 2005 first-round pick (Shawne Merriman, LB)
No one will ever know how Eli Manning would have done as the Chargers’ franchise quarterback, but no one in San Diego is complaining, either.
There are plenty of impact starters whom the Chargers picked up in the 2004 draft. Rivers has been the star of the team for years, and his career revival in 2013 indicates that he has plenty of good years left. Kaeding never quite got it together in the playoffs, especially in 2009, but he was one of the league’s most accurate kickers in the regular season. Hardwick has been everything a coach wants in a franchise center—he identifies blitzes with ease and protects the quarterback at a high level. Shaun Phillips thrived as the team’s No. 1 or No. 2 pass rusher for a long time, averaging 8.75 sacks a year over a six-season span.
The Chargers also grabbed the incredibly talented Shane Olivea in the seventh round. He started 57 games at right tackle in four seasons with the team. That is great value for a Day 3 pick.
San Diego added depth with Olshansky, Bingham and Turner. Remember, only the Chargers edition of Turner is considered here, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing.
The 2004 Chargers draft is one of the best in team history. The team added several valuable starters, including Day 3 gems in Olivea and Turner. The Olshansky pick could have turned out better, but that is just nitpicking.
Grade: A+
2005: The Chargers Add 2 Pro Bowlers
2 of 10
Round 1, Pick 12: Shawne Merriman, LB
Round 1, Pick 28: Luis Castillo, DE
Round 2, Pick 61: Vincent Jackson, WR
Round 4, Pick 130: Darren Sproles, RB
Round 5, Pick 164: Wesley Britt, OT
Round 6, Pick 177: Wes Sims, OG
Round 7, Pick 242: Scott Mruczkowski, C
The Chargers continue to reap the rewards of the Eli Manning trade, adding Merriman via the Giants’ first-round pick. Merriman played only four seasons as San Diego’s primary starter, but he was one of the league’s most destructive pass-rushers before his knee injury.
Jackson was a favorite of Rivers during his time in San Diego. At 6’5” with a penchant for going deep, Jackson helped set the trend for supersized receivers in today’s NFL. He made two Pro Bowls with the Chargers.
Castillo, Sproles and Mruczkowski were key role players for the Bolts. Castillo had 19 sacks over seven seasons. Sproles, now a Philadelphia Eagle, continues to be a great receiving back and a dangerous kick returner—there are few players like him. Mruczkowski backed up Hardwick for years, and came to the rescue in 2009, in which he started 13 games. Another seventh-round gem.
Although this group isn’t as impressive as the 2004 class, it gave San Diego three quality starters and a dynamic weapon on offense and special teams. Jackson and Sproles are still in the league today, although the rest of the draftees have long since retired. The 2005 draft lacks longevity, but it sure is heavy on talent.
Grade: A-
2006: Cromartie and McNeill Join the Bolts
3 of 10
Round 1, Pick 19: Antonio Cromartie, CB
Round 2, Pick 50: Marcus McNeill, OT
Round 3, Pick 81: Charlie Whitehurst, QB
Round 5, Pick 151: Tim Dobbins, LB
Round 6, Pick 187: Jeromey Clary, OL
Round 6, Pick 188: Kurt Smith, K
Round 7, Pick 225: Chase Page, DT
Round 7, Pick 227: Jimmy Martin, C
After the previous two home runs the Chargers hit, the 2006 haul seems like a disappointment. It might be, considering Cromartie and McNeill played just a combined 10 seasons with San Diego.
But the Chargers’ first two picks immediately gave the team two high-end starters—in their rookie and sophomore seasons, Cromartie and McNeill totaled three Pro Bowl berths and a spot on the AP All-Pro first team.
Cromartie had the season of his life in 2007 before leveling out as an inconsistent starter. He joined the Jets in 2010. McNeill was a hulking, 6’8” left tackle that had all the makings of a future All-Pro. Injuries forced him to retire in 2011.
San Diego also got three solid depth players in Whitehurst, Dobbins and Clary. Whitehurst has bounced around the NFL as a backup quarterback. Dobbins racked up 119 tackles in four seasons with the Bolts as a rotational linebacker. Clary is the only member of the class still in San Diego—he’s best suited as a backup guard/tackle that can start in a pinch.
In 2007, it looked like the Chargers got a shutdown cornerback and a franchise left tackle in the previous year’s draft. Unfortunately for them, the NFL is rarely static, and bad luck is a frequent visitor. Regardless, 90% of the league would be thrilled to snatch up two Pro Bowlers in one go.
Grade: B
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2007: Weddle and His Group of Misfits
4 of 10
Round 1, Pick 30: Craig Davis, WR
Round 2, Pick 37: Eric Weddle, S
Round 3, Pick 96: Anthony Waters, LB
Round 4, Pick 129: Scott Chandler, TE
Round 5, Pick 172: Legedu Naanee, WR
Round 7, Pick 240: Brandon Siler, LB
It’s not as if the Chargers got worse at drafting, it’s just that the draft is a crapshoot every year. Failure is always a possibility.
The player who stands out here is Weddle, who has made two Pro Bowls in the past three years and is one of the NFL’s most underappreciated safeties. He frequently covers up the mistakes of San Diego’s mediocre front seven and makes plays against the run and pass.
Naanee added depth to the Chargers wide receiver corps for four years, and Siler was a solid backup linebacker.
The rest of the group offered little. Davis was a bust who last played in 2010, Waters went to the Saints after a year in San Diego and Chandler didn’t catch a single pass until reviving his career with the Bills in 2010.
If not for Weddle, this would be the worst draft of the era of former general manager A.J. Smith.
Grade: C
2008: Few Picks, Few Good Players
5 of 10
Round 1, Pick 27: Antoine Cason, CB
Round 3, Pick 69: Jacob Hester, FB
Round 5, Pick 166: Marcus Thomas, RB
Round 6, Pick 192: DeJuan Tribble, DB
Round 7, Pick 234: Corey Clark, T
After an AFC Championship berth in January, the Chargers brought in the replacements in the 2008 draft. Cason was supposedly going to take over for longtime cornerback Quentin Jammer once he retired, and Hester was drafted to replace All-Pro fullback Lorenzo Neal.
Neither of the Chargers’ first two picks worked out, as Cason (along with Jammer) left San Diego in 2012, and Hester spent a few seasons as a short-yardage back before going to the Denver Broncos. Cason had a couple of decent seasons with the Bolts, but didn’t live up to first-round expectations. Hester scored one touchdown as a member of the Chargers.
The other three players failed to make any sort of impact in the NFL.
Only five picks in the draft meant A.J. Smith and the Chargers had little room for error in 2008. Unfortunately, the only starter they drafted was the underwhelming Cason.
Grade: D-
2009: The Larry English Experience
6 of 10
Round 1, Pick 16: Larry English, LB
Round 3, Pick 78: Louis Vasquez, G
Round 4, Pick 113: Vaughn Martin, DT
Round 4, Pick 133: Tyronne Green, G
Round 4, Pick 134: Gartrell Johnson, RB
Round 5, Pick 148: Brandon Hughes, DB
Round 6, Pick 189: Kevin Ellison, LB
Round 7, Pick 224: Demetrius Byrd, WR
We continue to wade through the dark age of Chargers draft selections—A.J. Smith trades away another second-round draft pick, and English failed to blossom into Merriman’s heir apparent because of injuries and ineffectiveness.
However, the Chargers did manage to pick up a quality starter in Vasquez. The right guard played at a high level with San Diego for four seasons before signing with Denver, where he earned a spot on the 2013 All-Pro team.
San Diego also got two contributors in Green and Martin. Green made 28 starts in four seasons with the club, albeit more out of necessity than him playing at a Pro Bowl level. Martin spent two seasons as the team’s primary starter at defensive end, but managed to make only two sacks during that span.
The rest of the players didn’t make any sort of impact in San Diego.
None of the Chargers’ 2009 draft picks are still with the team, and only Vasquez is an NFL-caliber starter. Smith certainly got more out of this group than the 2008 group, but that wasn’t terribly hard to accomplish.
Grade: C-
2010: The Ryan Mathews Draft
7 of 10
Round 1, Pick 12: Ryan Mathews, RB
Round 3, Pick 79: Donald Butler, ILB
Round 4, Pick 110: Darrell Stuckey, DB
Round 5, Pick 146: Cam Thomas, DT
Round 5, Pick 168: Jonathan Crompton, QB
Round 7, Pick 235: Dedrick Epps, TE
The success of the 2010 draft always hinged on whether or not Mathews became a worthy successor to LaDainian Tomlinson. It didn’t happen. Nonetheless, Mathews is currently a quality lead back and between-the-tackles grinder (when healthy) in the Chargers’ run-heavy offense. Whether or not the Chargers extend him is up for debate, but the 2011 Pro Bowler certainly has a place in the NFL.
San Diego did re-sign Mathews’ fellow draftees in Butler and Stuckey. Butler, whose new contract is essentially a three-year, $20 million deal, flashes immense skill as a coverage linebacker but lacks consistency. Stuckey signed a four-year, $7.6 million contract and is in the running for the league’s best special teams ace. Both re-signings were smart.
Thomas was an average nose tackle during his time with the Bolts. He joined the Steelers on a two-year deal in March. Crompton and Epps are out of the league.
The Chargers finally found a couple of key starters after three underwhelming drafts prior to 2010. Mathews staying healthy and/or Butler breaking out would significantly boost this draft’s grade, but for now we’ll go with what they have already contributed for the team.
Grade: B
2011: The Chargers Hit Singles
8 of 10
Round 1, Pick 18: Corey Liuget, DL
Round 2, Pick 50: Marcus Gilchrist, DB
Round 2, Pick 61: Jonas Mouton, LB
Round 3, Pick 82: Vincent Brown, WR
Round 3, Pick 89: Shareece Wright, CB
Round 6, Pick 183: Jordan Todman, RB
Round 6, Pick 201: Stephen Schilling, OL
Round 7, Pick 234: Andrew Gachkar, LB
Although there aren’t any All-Pros among the 2011 draft class, San Diego certainly could have done worse.
Liuget remains a player with tantalizing potential, an ultra-athletic lineman who can generate pressure anywhere on the line. However, he is one of the worst run defenders at his position, ranking 41st out of 45 3-4 defensive ends in that category, per Pro Football Focus. This year will determine his future in San Diego.
Gilchrist is a potential riser on the Chargers’ defense. The former cornerback converted to safety in 2013. He has long speed and the necessary chops versus the run to be a solid starter, as long as he keeps improving in coverage. Also be on the lookout for Brown, a quick No. 3 wide receiver with good hands.
Smith’s two big whiffs in this draft are Mouton and Wright. Mouton made one tackle during his three-year tenure with the Chargers. Wright is one of the major reasons why the Chargers spend a first-round pick in 2014 on cornerback Jason Verrett, and snagged Brandon Flowers in free agency. He’s ticketed for a backup role.
Liuget, Gilchrist and Brown still have next year to prove that they are worthy of being deemed more than just solid starters. If they do that, Chargers fans will look at the 2011 draft more fondly. To emphasize the title of this slide, San Diego hit plenty of singles in this draft, but no home runs.
Grade: C+
2012: Two Breakout Candidates Are Added
9 of 10
Round 1, Pick 18: Melvin Ingram, DE
Round 2, Pick 49: Kendall Reyes, DT
Round 3, Pick 73: Brandon Taylor, SS
Round 4, Pick 110: Ladarius Green, TE
Round 5, Pick 149: Johnnie Troutman, OL
Round 7, Pick 226: David Molk, OL
Round 7, Pick 250: Edwin Baker, RB
Here is where evaluations begin to get cloudy, as we haven’t seen enough of the 2012 draft class to determine their future in the NFL. This is especially the case with Ingram—the first-round pick played in just four games in 2013. His rookie season was unimpressive, but he didn’t exactly have an opportunity to make the second-year leap, either. He still has plenty of time to make up lost ground.
If Ingram has the best chance to break out on San Diego’s defense, then Green has the best chance to break out on its offense. Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union Tribune projected that Green will at least double his 2013 stats of 376 yards on 17 catches this season. It’s hard to disagree—the 6’6” mismatch tight end fits today’s NFL to a T. The more snaps Green gets, the more he will shine.
The rest of the group is underwhelming. Reyes has started 20 games in the past two seasons, but he is easily abused in run defense. In his current state, he’s best suited for a rotational role as an interior pass-rusher. Taylor and Troutman are backups.
With only two seasons under their belt, it’s best to give the 2012 draftees a bit of leeway in their grade. However, only Ingram and Green look to have what it takes to be more than just backups in the NFL. A jump in production for both players will go a long way toward improving this grade.
Grade: C+
2013: The Chargers Get Immediate Returns
10 of 10
Round 1, Pick 11: D.J. Fluker, RT
Round 2, Pick 38: Manti Te’o, LB
Round 3, Pick 76: Keenan Allen, WR
Round 5, Pick 145: Steve Williams, DB
Round 6, Pick 179: Tourek Williams, DE
Round 7, Pick 221: Brad Sorensen, QB
In general manager Tom Telesco’s first draft, he found two potential stars for San Diego’s offense.
Fluker got better as the season wore on, and he showed terrifying strength as a run blocker. If he gets better at handling speed in pass protection, the Chargers will have their fixture at right tackle for years to come.
Allen needs no introduction—he posted over 1,000 yards receiving and scored eight touchdowns as a rookie. Already one of the league’s smoothest route-runners, Allen should continue to terrorize and leap over opposing defenders as the Chargers’ No. 1 receiver.
On defense, Te’o brought plenty of media attention to San Diego early on, but he quietly finished the year with 48 tackles in 13 games. While that isn’t much to write home about, Te’o did place 10th among inside linebackers in Pro Football Focus’ coverage ratings. Assuming he has fully recovered from a foot injury that nagged him in 2013, Te’o should improve as a run defender and continue to impress in pass coverage.
Steve Williams spent all of 2013 on injured reserve, so his pro potential remains a complete mystery. Tourek Williams and Sorensen are nonfactors.
Telesco didn’t have a myriad of picks to work with in his first draft, but it looks like he got at least two quality starters and the potential for more. Although it’s not the 2004 draft haul, the Chargers got immediate returns with their 2013 draft class. That’s a promising sign for San Diego’s future in the draft under Telesco.
Grade: B+
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